This invention relates to air terminals employed in air conditioning systems, and more particularly, to an assembly for use in such terminals.
The utilization of air conditioning systems employing terminals to provide conditioned air from a central source thereof to a plurality of areas or spaces in an enclosure, such as offices in office buildings, has become quite extensive. Generally, such areas have what is known as "false" ceilings. "False" ceilings may comprise a plurality of tiles which are suitably suspended below the actual ceiling of the space having the conditioned air introduced thereinto. The tiles are provided to improve the aesthetic appearance of the space, and in addition, may improve the acoustical characteristics of such space. Terminals, including both supply and return, as well as the other components of the air conditioning system are generally installed in the space, so the lower surfaces of the terminals are substantially flush with the lower surface of the "false" ceiling.
Supply air terminals employed in systems of the type described above may include means to regulate the volume of air discharged into any one area in accordance with the temperature thereof. Such terminals are particularly important in applications wherein it is desired to minimize operating costs, since only the volume of conditioned air required to meet the actual demands of an area is supplied by units serving such space.
As noted before, systems of the type hereinabove described utilize both supply air and return air terminals. As used herein, the term "terminal", unless otherwise specifically modified, shall encompass both supply air and return air units. To meet the aesthetic requirements of architects and building owners, the return air terminal and supply air terminal should appear identical when viewed from the floor of the area being served. To minimize the costs of manufacturing and thus installing systems employing such terminals, it is highly desirable that components and/or assemblies employed in a supply air terminal should also be suitable for use in a return air terminal.
A supply air terminal of the type described is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,111, issued Jan. 12, 1971. A return air unit of the type described is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,901. The two aforecited patents and the present application are assigned to a common assignee.
Although the supply and return terminals described in the cited patents appear identical when viewed by the occupant of the space served thereby, each of the terminals requires its own components.